Begins with Family
by BedazzledBlue
Summary: First it was a simple matter of concern. Then it transformed into an all out nightmare when Splinter discovered two of his sons severely injured on a rooftop, and the other two are nowhere to be found. But reality becomes much more haunting. With each discovery, the family's worst nightmares unfolds before them.
1. Chapter 1: It Begins

_**Begins with Family**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT. They belong to Nickelodeon.**

This is my first fanfiction so please keep that in mind. However, I do value all opinions to help improve my writing and encourage people to review. Thanks, enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: It Begins**

No one's POV

"Come on team, move shell." Leonardo's eyes, disguised by his blue mask, gaze at each of his brothers.

They continue to simultaneously leap each rooftop with stealth and agility.

"We have to find the mutagen before the kraang does. Donnie, are you still getting that signal?" Leo questions.

"Yeah, the mutagen tracker is working perfectly, as expected," replies Donatello triumphantly.

"It should be right around...here!" Donatello informs as he brings the team to a halt.

"Spread out and search the area." Leo instructs.

They search every square inch before Mikey's voice fills the air.

"I found it! I am awesome!" he cheers.

"Alright, good job team," Leo encourages. "Let's return to the lair."

"I can't wait! There's still some leftover pepperoni pizza in the fridge!" Mikey announces.

The team is about halfway back when Leonardo suddenly shifts directions. "Follow me." he insists.

The three turtles exchange a glance before following orders.

"Leo where are we goin'?" Raph whispers.

"Trust me." Leo replies.

Raph exchanges another glance between his two younger brothers before returning his gaze to Leo. Suddenly Leo alters directions again. The team hurriedly changes their direction as well. Leo continues to maneuver before coming to a halt in the shadows behind a brick entrance to a rooftop stairway.

"Dude, where are we going?" Mikey persisted

"Sssshhhhh." Leo whispers glaring at Michelangelo.

"Leo, what ya doin' bro?" Raph's asks, a twinge of annoyance showing. His gaze meets his older brother's.

"I think we're being followed." Leo informs them.

"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling." Leo explains before returning his gaze to the rooftops.

Mikey, Donnie, and Raph scan the surrounding area but find nothing.

They wait there another minute.

"Can we go home now?" Mikey whines.

"Just wait one more…" Leo was cut off by a throwing star cutting into the bricks, inches from his head.

All four turtles whip around, their eyes meeting with the black masks of the foot clan.

"Spread out." Leo orders before diving to avoid the next throwing star.

Raphael immediately springs into action, twirling his twin sai at his sides. Two foot bots are beheaded, and Raph makes his move for a third. Donatello does a backflip over his enemy. Taking advantage of the foot bots lack of evasion, he stabs it's midsection with his bo staff. Michelangelo wraps his nunchuck around one of the bots wrist and yanks it towards him, finishing it with a swift kick off the rooftop. Leo slices one in half. Then he leaps to avoid the throwing stars, he brings his katanas down, two more bots are sent tumbling to the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~

Less than a minute later, metal is scattered about the rooftop. No foot bots remain.

"Ha, didn't even break a sweat." Raph gloats.

"That was almost too easy." Leo cautions.

"Or we're just that good." Raph suggests.

"So turtles, we meet again." a figure reveals itself from behind the shadows.

He scrapes his metal blades against the brick stairway as he advances towards the brothers.

"Shredder." Leo's deep blue eyes lock onto his enemy.

"Too bad your master isn't here to witness your demise." Shredder taunts.

The four turtles join together in a defensive position.

Shredder readies his blades, making the first move. He jumps from above and angles his blades downwards, forcing the group to scatter. Raph makes the next move, slicing to the left. Shredder pulls to the right, easily dodging the twin blades, then performs a stabbing motion towards the red clad turtle. Raph does a backflip then the metal sais clash with Shredder's blade. Leonardo strikes Shredder from the side, causing his enemy to stumble backwards slightly. Donatello takes this opportunity to charge Shredder and force him back, however, Shredder thrusts his fist at Donnie. The turtle avoids the fist, but not Shredder's blade. The blade causes a long gash by his face, tearing his purple mask. Shredder then stabs Donnie through his plastron and propels him into the stairway wall.

"Donnie!" three worried voices call for their brother.

He groans with pain before his body goes limp. Blood slowly forming a pool where the unconscious turtle lay. Mikey defends his older brother as Shredder charges the defenseless turtle. His nunchucks wrap around Shredder's arm before the blade could pierce Donnie's body again. Raph and Leo both leap in front of Donatello and kick their enemy back away from their younger brother.

"Mikey, get Donnie out of here!" Leo shouts, turning his attention to his youngest brother.

"Leo, watch out!" Raph calls, though it was too late.

Leo whirls around only to find the Shredder's blade coming down towards him. He dives to the left, though the blade still pierces his shoulder. Shredder then kicks Leonardo down and hurls him off the rooftop, sending him plummeting into the alley below.

"Leo!" Raph cries out, crossing his blades in front of his plastron. Shredder charges Raph, then leaps over him, proceeding towards Michelangelo and Donatello.

""Mikey, NO!" Raph hollers just as Shredder's lunges. Mikey jumps to avoid the fatal blow but the blade pierces his leg. Mikey falls to the ground. Shredder then proceeds to stab his blade into Mikey's thigh. His foot slams down on the turtles injured leg before he knocks the turtle down with his armor covered fist.

Raph clashes his sais once again with Shredder's blade, leading Shredder away from his younger brothers. Mikey takes this opportunity to carry or rather drag Donnie into the corner, his own injured leg hindering the speed of his progress. Mikey then jumps over the gaps between rooftops, each time his foot makes contact with the buildings pain shoots through his leg. He is able to conceal both himself and Donnie in the shadows a few rooftops away from the fight.

"It's going to be okay Donnie." Mikey whispers. He barely manages to wrap his mask around his brother's plastron to stop his brother from bleeding out before slipping into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile Raph dodges a stab from Shredder's blade, though Shredder grabs his throat. His grip tightens until Raph begins slipping into then slams Raph onto the ground, forcing his world to go black.

Shredder turns around to find that Michelangelo and Donatello are gone.

 _They won't survive anyway_ , he guessed by their injuries. _However, the other two might still be of use_.

Sorry, first chapter and it's a bit of a cliffhanger already. The poor brothers can't seem to catch a break it seems.

Please let me know if I should continue this story and if you find it interesting. Thanks for reading and please let me hear your thoughts and review. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: Devastating Discovery

_**Begins with**_ **Family**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, they belong to Nickelodeon.**

Hey guys, so I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and support. I really do appreciate it. As you can guess I did decide to update this story, as people seem to want me to continue it. So thank you guys so much! Thanks to all my readers for taking the time to read my story, and a special thanks to all those who took a little extra time to review and share their thought. I really value all my reader's opinions and love hearing them.

yukio87: Yeah it seems that way now. You'll have to keep reading to find out. :). Thanks for the encouragement.

Rhodesincolumbus: Thanks for the support, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Once-Upon-a-Slash-Story: Thanks for sharing and letting me hear your thoughts. It means alot.

Danielle Domain: Thanks so much, I appreciate the support to keep going.

Alright, story time!

Just a forewarning if you are uncomfortable reading about any blood or violence, this story will contain that throughout now, specifically beginning in chapter 3. So if you are sensitive to those subjects I encourage you not read the continuation of this story. Otherwise if these don't bother you, enjoy!

 **Chapter 2: Devastating Discovery**

No one's POV

Splinter's agile body allows him to progress from rooftop to rooftop with ease. His dark fur is frequently engulfed by the blackness of the night. He continues his search, the moonlight revealing the growing concern in his facial features. His sons had never been gone on a mutagen retrieval for this long. It has been two hours since he expected their return. By the first hour past their expected time of arrival, he was growing slightly worried. Of course their are always explanations like the brothers goofing off or becoming distracted topside, especially his youngest, Michelangelo. But the second hour came and his concern increased and refused to fade away. So he left the lair to search. But even as he continued his search, finding no trace of trouble, his concern wouldn't diminish. He forces his worried thoughts away and continues the search, he needs to focus on finding his sons. Before they left, he had overheard Donnie mention the mission and the general area that they believed the mutagen was located. He reached the area within twenty minutes and had already begun his frantic search. After having no success, he decides to check nearby rooftops and alleyways. Still no success. Now the worry inside of him grows wild. Something is wrong, though he still doesn't want to believe it. He continues his search, his hopes of finding his four sons deteriorating with each bare rooftop and empty alleyway.

 _Maybe they returned to lair by now_. The thought was doubtful but he hoped it was true, knowing it would be better than his alternative thoughts. He continues the search until his eyes land on an unfamiliar wooden building. The base of the building seemed to buckle under the weight of the rooftop. The wood had been weathered from many years of wear and neglect. He silently allows the shadows to engulf him once again as he makes his way towards the building. Soundlessly dropping on the rooftop, he remains still as hey surveys his surroundings. His eyes scan every inch of the roof until resting upon two small figures in the corner. The dim moonlight reveals severe injuries on both figures. Dried blood and heavy bruises are clearly visible on each body. They remain limp, their eyes closed. One face displays a long scratch across his face, tearing through the purple mask he wears. A yellow mask is covering a wound on his plastron. The other has a severe lump on his head, suggesting blunt force was applied. His thigh is stained with a brownish color as his body tried to stop the bleeding and fought to hold onto life. His left leg rests at an unnatural angle. Splinter's eyes grow wide at the extent of their injuries.

"Michelangelo! Donatello!"

He surveys the rest of the area, though he can't find his two eldest sons. Something shines in the moonlight and draws his attention. Remains of foot bots clutter the top of a brick building only a few rooftops away. He will investigate that later after his youngest sons receive medical attention and he knows they'll be okay on their own, he decides.

He rushes to Mikey and Donatello's side. "Don't worry my sons, we're going home." Splinter reassures the motionless turtles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~

At the lair, he places both Mikey and Donnie into the infirmary and attends to their wounds. He removes Mikey's mask and wraps bandages around his second youngest. Then gauze is applied and bandages are wrapped around the rest of their wounds. Donnie's breathing stabilizes and Mikey's head injury stops swelling after Splinter applies ice to it, though they both remain in a coma-like state. He remains by their bedside, hoping that they recover and worrying what the fate of his elder sons might be. He wishes more than anything that he might be able to reunite with his entire family, though he knew he can't leave his youngest sons alone, defenseless, and injured. "Please…" he whispers, "...let my family be okay." His only reply was the small pinging of his younger sons' heart monitors.

Yay! Mikey and Donnie are at least alive. Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought this chapter may be on Leo and Raph, but I promise you that will be the main focus of the next chapter :). Sorry for the short chapter, I promise next chapter will be longer. As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to review and let me hear your thoughts and opinions. Thanks! See you guys soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Nothing but Darkness Ahead

**_Begins with_** ** _Family_**

 **Disclaimer:** **You know the drill people. I do not own TMNT, they are the property of Nickelodeon.**

First of all, I want to apologize for the long wait, but I had finals this week and I needed the time to study. Thanks to all for your patience. And as always, thanks to all readers and those who take the time to review. Enjoy!

Warning this chapter will contain violence, blood, and torture. If you are uncomfortable with any of these, please do not continue reading this chapter. Also, there will be more scenes like this in upcoming chapters so if this material is concerning to you please do not continue reading this story or the chapters containing this content. Thank you.

 **Chapter 3: Nothing but Darkness Ahead**

Raph's POV

The room comes into focus. I'm confined to a cramped cell. It's dingy and dreary. The cracks gave indication to the age of the prison walls. Chains bind my wrists securely to the damp stone. I pull to test the strength of the restraints, they refuse to give. My battle with the chains soon ceases as I pauses to scan the room. My brothers aren't with me. My breath becomes panicked and my heart begins beating violently. The last I remember is that two of my brothers were unconscious and all of them had received severe injuries. _Donnie had been hurled into a wall and was still unconscious when I had last seen him. Leo had gotten thrown off the rooftop and hadn't gotten back up. And Mikey had just been stabbed then took a harsh blow to his head. They couldn't have defended themselves_. _No...it can't be...my brothers are dead._ I couldn't believe it, I wouldn't believe it. The door opens and I lift my head as Shredder steps inside. His blade scrapes the wall in an intimidating manner.

No one's POV

"What did you do to my brothers!?" Raph growls.

Shredder ignores the comment and strides over to Raph.

"Where is your master, turtle?"

Raph glares at his nemesis as the hiss of Shredder's gauntlet reaches his ears.

The blade is rammed into his arm. Blood runs down his hand and stains the floor.

Raph fights back the holler of pain. He won't give his enemy any satisfaction.

The blade is now puncturing his stomach. Blood now covers his entire midsection.

"Where is Hamato Yoshi!" Shredder urged.

Raph merely growls at Shredder.

"Ya have an entire army and you've been searchin' fer years now. Don't ya think you should be able to answer that fer yerself by now?" Raph smirked before his icy glare met Shredder's enraged eyes. Shredder returns the glare before using his blade to make a small slit across his throat. Raph gasps. Tears well up in his eyes, he fights them back. Red trails down his neck before it settles on the floor. However, the blade didn't penetrate far enough to damage the vocal cords.

"Your mockery will cost you dearly, turtle." Shredder warns as he shoves the blade up to Raph's injured throat.

"Where are my brothers?" Raph insists, his voice now weak but still audible.

The Shredder now lowers and retracts the bloody blade. He pulls out a remote and a menacing half smirk forms on his lips.

"I'll show you." he says gesturing to the corner of the room. Raph's eyes fall on a television screen. Confused, he looks back to the Shredder who proceeds to turn it on. His eyes return to the screen.

"Leo!" Raph call out, his tone both full of relief and despair.

Leo lay there, restrained and unconscious, but alive. _Leo is alive!_ _But what about the others?_ The Shredder extended his blade again. Raph braced himself for the inevitable blow, but it didn't come. He waited for the blade to puncture his body yet again, but Shredder just stood there, blade resting at his side. Another horrid smirk adorning his face.

"Enjoy the show turtle." he said, gesturing towards the screen.

Raph's gaze hardened and his eyes remained locked onto his enemy. "NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" he spat, rage fueling him as he battled against his restraints yet again.

Shredder then turned and advanced towards Leo's cell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo awakens. His eyes slowly flutter open, though his vision is still blurred. The room begins to come into focus. It's very confined, dim, and he's pretty sure he can feel a slight draft in the room. The stone walls are aged but appear sturdy enough. Restraints secure his arms, legs, and abdomen to a metal examination table. He struggles to loosen his bonds, but they won't relent. _How did this happen?_ he wondered. Suddenly his mind flashed back to the rooftop. _Mutagen, foot bots, Shredder...DONNIE!_ he frantically glances around the room, his brothers were nowhere in sight. He tugged at the restraints with greater force and determination, though they still refused to give. Because he was still exhausted from the fight, his tugging didn't last long. His breathing became heavy and frantic as he realized he wasn't able to save his brother, he failed him. He couldn't have stopped Shredder from finishing him off, and judging by his injuries, Donnie couldn't have defended himself. _Wait, if I'm here... then where's Raph and Mikey?_ he wondered. The last thing he remembered was falling off the building. Then blackness. _Raphael and Mikey were fine. Could they have actually escaped?_ _Maybe Donnie's still alive too!_ He smiled at this small hope and prayed that it was true. _Click_. The cell door was unlocked and slid open. Shredder appeared in the doorway.

"Where are my brothers!?" Leonardo yells, glancing with pure hatred at his enemy.

"Finished. They were defeated." replies Shredder, confirming Leo's worst fears.

Leo can't breathe. His face shone pure terror and denial. _No! This can't be happening, how? They couldn't be...after everything they'd been through...they have to be alive!_

"I will gladly re unite you with your brothers, if you provide the location of your master, Hamato Yoshi." Shredder declares cruelly .

Leo remains silent. A tear escapes his eye and he jerks his head towards the wall, forbidding the enemy of any satisfaction of seeing it.

"Your brothers were the fortunate ones. Their deaths were swift, unlike yours will be." Shredder continued.

With that he jabbed the blade into Leo's leg and twisted it. An agonizing scream caught in Leo's throat turns into a whimper as it escapes. The blade was then ripped out. Blood began to ooze from the wound, cooling and staining his entire lower leg.

"Where is Hamato Yoshi!" Shredder demanded.

Silence.

The blade enters his side, barely missing his vitals, staining much of his lower body with a trail of red. Screams continue to build up. He can't hold them in much longer.

The blade pierces him again, this time in his already injured shoulder. Blood spills from his shoulder joining the red pool on the floor. He can't contain it, his face contorts in agony and a strangled scream escapes. Soon more screams tear from his throat as the blade repeatedly pierces his bruised and broken body. His world fades in and out, though he manages to stay awake. His breathing becomes shallow and his vision blurs as the blade enters and exits his body one more time. Shredder then places the red stained blade to the side. He pulls out another remote. He pushes the button, pain shoots through Leo's body. The electrified restraints send electricity flowing through his entire body. The screams continue until no air is left in his lungs. Silence. His world goes black once again.

* * *

I'm sorry, another suspenseful ending to a chapter. Poor Raph and Leo, they're having a very rough time. Shredder is so cruel, but this is definitely not the last you'll see of him. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to share you thoughts. Thanks everyone! See you all next update, take care. :)


	4. Chapter 4: Broken

_**Begins with Family**_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, they belong to Nickelodeon.**

Hey guys thanks again for all the support and patience.  
leggo lover 99: Thanks so much, hope you enjoy this next chapter.  
Once-Upon-a-Slash-Story: Thanks. And I apologize, I'll try to add more detail and make it more fluent.  
German Girl: Sorry about the switching tenses, I struggle with that as an author. Thanks for letting me know, hope this chapter is better. And yes I know it's a little unrealistic, but Shredder knows what he's doing. He wouldn't kill them off unless he wanted to, but he is ruthless. Also I wanted people to see the more cruel side of Shredder. It's intentionally a little much because I want to portray Shredder as a more powerful and vicious adversary. But thanks, I really do appreciate your input. I'll try to fix the tenses and I'll try to slow it down. Take care. :)  
yukio87: Yeah, it's not looking good for the brothers. Hopefully things will look up this chapter. Thanks so much, have a great night.

Thanks all, hope you enjoy this next chapter. Again, be sure to tell me what you think. I hope to update again soon, as in before Christmas, but with the holidays I'm not sure how busy I'll be. Thanks for being patient and enjoy. Story time! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~

 **Chapter 4: Broken**

Raph struggles with the chains as he watches his brother. Leo is now unconscious once again and Shredder strikes him with his fist.

"NO!" Raph protests.

A crack can be heard from his brother's plastron as Shredder's fist connects with his battered form yet again. Raph pulls harder now, he can't just let this happen to his brother. His left arm goes out of socket and his body is now throbbing. He forces himself to stop and he lowers his head to the floor. He can't watch anymore. His dreams will long be haunted by his brother's bloodied appearance and bruised skin. And the worst thought of it all being that Leo thinks all his brothers are gone. Raph hopes he'll be able to tell him otherwise, he know Leo's tearing himself up for this and he can't help him. The red clad turtle can only hope Leo can hold on long enough for him to knock that self guilt out of his brother. After a beat of silence, Raph dares to glance at the screen. His brother is crumpled in a heap on the table. His green skin is now merged with red streams flowing from open cuts and the blackened skin of the developing bruises. His body visibly trembles from the shocks. His eyes remain closed, and his lips silent. Raph tears away his gaze from the screen. He wants to be able to comfort his brother but he can't. He growls louder as he tries once again to free himself, still with no success. Shredder now enters Raph's cell. Raph glares at him, hatred shining in his eyes.

"Remember turtle, you are not the only one who will suffer for your resistance." Shredder warns.

Shredder then leaves the red clad turtle to gaze helplessly at his older brother's broken body. Raph pulls as his wrists reach the end of his chains, but still the chains show no signs of wear and refuse to give. Raph's fist slams into the wall in defeat. He couldn't help Leo, he just hoped Donnie and Mikey were better off. He hadn't seen them since the battle on the rooftop. They were both injured, Donnie was unconscious and he wasn't sure that they could have defended themselves. He didn't know where his younger brothers were, or even if they were still alive, though seeing Leo alive gave him hope that they could be as well. He glanced up at the screen again. Leo still lay in a motionless heap. He knows he can't let his actions betray his brother, but he also knows he can't betray his master, his father.

 _ **Meanwhile in the lair…**_

Splinter reapplies gauze to their injuries. He had to use IV tubes and sponges water over his sons to keep them hydrated, as they are still unconscious. It has been a full day and Splinter is still unable to search for his eldest sons. His younger sons both haven't opened their eyes since he found them. "I am sorry my sons. I was not there when you needed me." His heart couldn't take the weight of his family being separated and broken. _My wife and my child. Now my sons, two of which may already be dead._

The pinging of a heart monitor drew Splinter's attention back to his younger sons. Donatello's monitor was sounding off as the purple clad turtle began to stir.

"Sensei?" Donnie manages, fighting to open his eyes. He slowly lifts them and Splinter smiles with relief at the sight of his son's chocolate brown eyes.

Donnie's weary eyes gaze around the room before settling on his master. Splinter wraps his arms gently around his son.

"What happened? Where are the others?" Donnie asks, his vision coming to focus.

"Michelangelo is right here, he is still recovering and unconscious." Splinter replies.

Donnie glances to his right to find Mikey on the bed next to him. He attempts to sit up but Splinter gently pushes him back down.

"You must rest Donatello. I can take care of your brother." Splinter informs the turtle.

Donnie reluctantly lays back down, His eyes then shoot back to his master, concern filling them. Splinter knows Donatello became aware of his older brothers' absence. He meets Donnie's gaze and prepared for the inevitable question.

"Sensei, where's Raph and Leo?" Donnie questions, noticing his father hadn't mentioned them.

"I don't know." Splinter replies before his gaze falls to the floor.

Donnie's eyes grew wide. _No... but how? Shredder._

"Donatello... " Splinter's gentle voice interrupts Donnie's thoughts. "...my son, I need to know what happened." Splinter continues. "I know it might be hard for you, but I need to know what you remember from the mutagen retrieval, It may help us locate your brothers." Splinter concludes.

Donnie forces his mind to return to that night. The rooftop comes into focus.

"We located the mutagen. We were making our way back to the layer when Leo said that we were being followed. That's when the foot bots ambushed us. We had finished them all, but then Shredder appeared from the shadows." Donnie continues.

 _So, it was his old nemesis, Oroku Saki,_ Splinter confirms.

"We were fighting him off before Shredder's blade pierced my stomach. I remember my body slamming into something, I went unconscious shortly after,." he shivers remembering the pain that the blade had sent throughout his body.

"That's all I remember." Donnie shakes his head. _Shredder had won._ Donnie couldn't believe it. He had injured his younger brother, and possibly killed his two older brothers. He drops his head to the floor after he finishes, a futile attempt to hide his feeling of guilt from Splinter. But as he expected, Splinter senses it.

"Sensei, it's my fault. I'm so sorry I was so useless, and I couldn't defend any of my brothers." Donnie whispers, a small tear making its way down his cheek.

"It's not your fault my son. You did the best you could. You're very fortunate that you were not killed." Splinter reassures him.

"Master Splinter?" Donnie replies tentatively.

"Let me help MIchelangelo, please. I can be of more use that way," Donnie continues, pleading.

"My son, you are not yet ready, you are still recovering and…" Splinter stops himself. He knows Donnie wanted to be with his injured younger brother. He can see the pain in his eyes. Donatello may have already lost two of his brothers, he knew he only wanted to make sure he didn't risk losing a third.

"You may. Just be sure not to strain your injuries." Splinter instructs.

Splinter helps lift his son out of his bed before guiding him towards the bed where Michelangelo lay.

"I can make a brace for his leg," Donnie explains, noticing the odd angle of his brother's leg. "I'll make a list of supplies I'll need," he concludes before turning and slowly heading out of the infirmary, remembering Splinter's instruction. Splinter rests his gaze on Michelangelo.

"You're going to be okay my son, Donatello and I will take care of you." Splinter reassures his youngest son. He lays a gentle paw on his youngest's arm as he listens to the soft pinging of his son's heart monitor.

* * *

Well things are looking up for Splinter and Donatello. Michelangelo is still in rough shape, but he's got Donnie to help him now too.  
Raph and Leo are still in trouble but maybe things will look up for them later? Or not, I'm not sure yet.  
We'll see when we cross that bridge yet. Thanks to all. Hope to see you all again real care :)


	5. Chapter 5: No Light

_**Begins with**_ _ **Family**_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, they belong to Nickelodeon. I'm just writing the stories for fun.**

So sorry about the delay everyone. I've been extremely busy over the holidays and up until now. I meant to update sooner but my schedule didn't allow me to. Thanks everyone for reading and those who commented, it means alot.

leggo lover 99: Thanks again for your continued support and feedback. Hope you enjoy this update :)  
yukio87: Yeah, things are looking bleak for the brothers. Thanks, take care as well. Thanks for commenting and have a great day.  
Once-Upon-a-Slash-Story: Sorry about the formatting issue it wasn't like that when I wrote it. I hope to have fixed the problem now. Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you again. Take care, hope you enjoy this next update.

I appreciate the support and encouragement I've been getting from everyone and I hope you all have enjoyed this story so far. Take care, enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: No Light**

Leo glances around his cell. He isn't sure how long he's been here. A few hours? A day? His cell remains dark so it is impossible to keep track of time. Also the fact that he fades in and out of consciousness has makes him completely unable to track the time regardless of the lighting, or lack thereof. His burns on his arm are still a blaze from his last confrontation with Shredder. They remain blistered and the heat from the electricity penetrates all the way through his skin. Leo closes his eyes. A futile attempt to block out the pain but effective to clear his mind for meditation.

As he sits in the lotus position, he allows his mind to wander, back to safety and his family. He remembers Mikey's smile. His younger brother was always cheerful. He always knew how to make his brothers laugh. Even though he could be annoying, Mikey had the biggest heart in the team. And there was the fact that he was always there for his brothers, no matter what. Leo would always remember Mikey's smile and his innocent baby blue eyes. Though Leo knew better than to trust the innocence of his face, he was always making trouble in Donnie's lab.

Leo then focuses on the lab and his genius sibling. Donnie could always help the team pull through. He made medicines and equipment for the them. Leo would never forget his kindness and dedication to the team. Who knows where they would have been without his intelligence and gentleness. He was so optimistic, so enthusiastic about helping, and so considerate.

Raph, though he was never into Donnie's advanced vocabulary or "nerd work" as Raph would call it, he showed the same dedication to the team. His protectiveness and soft side, though Raph would never admit to those, was something Leo admired about his brother. His strength was unmatched, just like his temper. And even though they often found themselves at odds with each other, Raph loved his brothers, even though he preferred to keep his hardcore image. "Fearless" was one of the nicknames Raph had given him. He had always hated it, only now Leo just wishes to hear his sarcastic voice once more.

Leo clung to the images of his brothers, knowing that this was the only way to see them again. Then darkness washes over his memories. He remembers Donnie's face as the blade penetrated his body. He remembers how limp and lifeless Donnie was after slamming into the brick wall. He imagines that Mikey and Raph hadn't had any less of a painful death. He sees himself in the alleyway, then he envisions his worst nightmare. Both his brothers are stabbed repeatedly. They are in pain and dying slowly. Shredder then thrusts his blade into his brothers' hearts. First Raphael, then Michelangelo. An eerie silence follows. His brothers both go limp. Their eyes become as glass and their green skin stains with red as it grows pale. Their bodies are now lifeless corpses. Donnie is left to die. He has no medical attention and he is slowly bleeding out. _NO!_ Leo forces himself out of his meditative state. He pushes the dark images away and pain shoots through his body as he has nothing else to keep his mind off his injuries. He tries to return his focus to his brothers before that night, but with no success. He can only see blackness and the unspeakable terror of that night. He stares at the floor, defeated. _I was their leader, I was supposed to protect them. I failed. I failed my brothers and my sensei. He trusted me to protect my brothers. I failed as leader...and as their brother._ A hiss is heard as the door is slowly opened once again. Leo lifts his head, Shredder stands before him. He is holding something, but it is too concealed for him to deduce what the object might be. Leo realizes its identity all too late. The needle from the syringe is shoved into his arm. The silver liquid enters his body and slowly takes effect. A burning sensation consumes his entire body and then comes the unrelenting pain. The chemical feels as if it's eating away at his internal organs, slowly and steadily! His insides feel like they've been ignited and the pain is intolerable. He can feel himself dying from the inside out. Red seeps from his mouth. Then bile rises. It empties some of the chemical in the contents of his stomach, but it's not enough. The pain continues to spread. It multiplies and the only thing Leo can hear is his own cries of pain. After a few minutes the pain lessens. Then it vanishes and he's left trying to slow his accelerated breathing rate. Though it did minimal internal damage considering the dose, it's clear purpose wasn't to kill him, rather cause immense pain.

"That dose is a fraction of what you will receive if you continue to withhold the whereabouts of your master" Shredder taunts. Leo lowers his head. He already allowed his brothers to be killed, he won't let them kill his father too. He won't betray his master, not again. Leo closes his eyes. His lips remain silent as another needle carrying a higher dose penetrates his body.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raph doesn't dare look at the screen. He knows his brother is in pain and he is helpless to stop it. Leo believes his brothers are dead, he believes he is alone. Raph can't be there for him. All he can do is block out his brother's occasional screams the best he can. He has received multiple burns, shocks, and cuts over the past, however long it's been, but not as severe as Leo's. He knows he's not intended to. He can take physical pain, but what breaks him more is to see his brother's suffering. He knows that Leo is also taking the punishment for his own stubbornness. But he knows he can't betray his master, though he feels like he is betraying his brother. For the next hour he can only hear Shredder's voice followed shortly after by Leo's screams. Both arms have gone out of socket, and they ache severely. But he can't focus on that. He has to loosen the chains, get to Leo, and escape the lair. He screams as he begins to pull, agonizing pain flows through his entire arms. The skin is wearing off his wrists, but he won't give up. He can't witness his own brother's death. He screams louder and yanks again. Still no success. The shackles have cut into his skin, forcing him to stop again. Blood trails down his hands before a small puddle forms on the ground. His knees give away. Leo's screams have stopped, but he doesn't want to see his brother, the image from the first day still haunts him. Raph knew he was defeated, but he can't accept it. He has to escape, with his brother. He has to see Splinter again. He needs to see his family again.

* * *

The boys are definitely not out of the woods yet. Poor Leo still thinks he's alone. Also Raph's unsure how to remedy

that without causing more suffering for his brother. Things are looking pretty hopeless right now.

Thanks everyone, look forward to hearing from you and I'll see you all again soon! :)


	6. Chapter 6: Hope-A Cruel Illusion

_**Begins with Family**_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, they belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the story plot.**

Thanks everyone for your support and patience. You're all so awesome and I hope you've been enjoying this story.

So I do apologize IMMENSELY for the delay but I had a lot going on. I started classes again so I'm not sure if I'll have time to update a couple times a week. However, I promise I'll do my best to update as soon as possible as the semester continues. Thanks for bearing with me and I hope the wait will be well worth it. Thanks to all my readers and a special thanks to all those who reviewed.

TheMaskedTimelord: Yeah they seem to be in some major trouble. I've got some ideas planned for the next chapters. Thanks.

Shades of X: Yeah things look pretty bleak huh? No promises but no denying that they will make it out. :) Thanks.

leggo lover 99: Thanks for your continued support throughout the story. Let's hope faith can get them out huh? Thanks.

yukio87: Thanks to you as well for your continued support of this story throughout. And only time will tell what happens next. Thanks.

Take care to all my readers and a (better late than never) happy new years!

Story time...

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Hope- A Cruel Illusion**

Raph wakes to the door sliding open. A multitude of foot bots approach him, followed by Shredder himself. Raph struggles to move away from his nemesis but the chains refuse to give. Before Raph can even think to protest, Shredder jabs a needle in his arm. After a minute, Raph's muscles become weak and his body becomes limp. "Take him." he instructs his foot bots. The foot bots move to release the chains. Raph readies himself for this. He knows he has to get out and this is his opportunity. The thoughts of his family and the images of Leo that still plague his dreams only fuel his motivation to escape now. His fingers slowly curled into a fist as the footbots unlock his restraints. _Click_. Both chains are unlocked.

He urges his muscles to give every last ounce of strength to his blows, but he can't manage it. His body instead slumps to the floor defeated. His entire body is paralyzed, resulting from whatever Shredder had just injected him with. _Really!? A stupid sedative is standing between me and seeing my family ever again!?_ Raph thought, enraged at the unfortunate turn of events. He glared at his hated enemy, mustering every ounce of anger in him towards his adversary. Shredder, unfazed by the pathetic turtle, orders his mindless tech to remove him from the room. The bots carelessly drag him through the hallway and toss him in a larger room. They turn and check the bolts on the cell door before exiting themselves. They didn't even bother to restrain him, though he guesses that doesn't matter judging by the thick steel walls and the fact that he has no weapons. He can only wait for his body to slowly regain its capability of movement. A few minutes pass before his body regains some feeling along with the ability to move his hands and feet slightly. The rest of his body remains numb and motionless. He allows his mind wander back to his brother and wonders where Leo might be now. It's been an entire day, he guessed, since they turned off the screen. He is grateful in a way. He doesn't have to watch or hear his brother suffer anymore. And that put Raph's mind at ease. Maybe it was selfish, but he can't bear to hear another pain filled scream from his brother. And he doesn't want to spare another glance at his brother's blackened and bloodstained figure anymore. Or worse yet, he can't endure even the thought of hearing that heart wrenching sound again. And that is the gurgling sound indicating his brother is choking on his own blood. That's one he'll never forget. Even though he's spared the mental anguish the screen brought, he now has no idea where Leo is, or if he's even still alive. If only he could let Leo know he's with him, or even just reach out to Leo and know he's still alive. _Wait. Maybe I can?_ Raph concludes as he gathers his thoughts. He remembers how Splinter could usually contact his family through meditation. He then remembers Leo's ability to meditate and focus. _Maybe, just maybe I can get a hint if Leo is still alive if I try to establish a mental connection with him. Then he would know I'm still alive too._ _And since Shredder sedated me, I won't draw suspicion to myself if I close my eyes._ Raph has to prepared. If Shredder got suspicious he would just interrupt the meditation process and Raph won't be able to successfully communicate with his brother, or even more troubling, he'd take his anger out on Leo again. He knew he wasn't good at controlling his temper and focusing but he had to try. He had to make this convincing that he fell unconscious. It wouldn't be easy to meditate or focus when he wasn't in the lotus position, however, it was essential that he at least make an effort to do so. He tries to calm himself but he can't. _Come on focus_ , he pleads with himself. His mind can't concentrate. His body aches and his mind is trying to focus on other things, like how to escape and rescue his brother.

"This is stupid." he mumbles with a huff.

"If Leo can do it, I can too." he states before closing his eyes again. Still nothing.

"Come on Raphael… focus" he scolds.

" This is the first step to saving my brother and my family. I have to do this, for my family and for Leo." he insists to himself.

With that images begin to disappear from his mind. _Could it actually be working!_ he thought. His mind clears and he focuses on his family. He still senses Splinter. _Good, so Shredder hasn't found the location yet._ He then shifts his focus to his brother Donnie.

"Still alive!" he breathes in relief.

He got the sense of his youngest brother too, though that was more faint, "Mikey's okay too." his heart leapt at that discovery.

 _Now I just need to find Leo,_ he prompts himself. He imagines his brother. His own green eyes look deep into the ocean blue eyes of his older brother. _Come on Leo, just show me that you're still alive._ he nearly begs. Nothing. His focus deepens on his older brother. _No, Leo you have to be here. You can't be dead._ _If you're gone who am I supposed to complain about?_ Nothing. Wait! There's a twinge of life in his big brother's eyes. Leo is weak and growing weaker, but still alive! _Leo, come on bro, we can make it out of here._ His hope falters as he feels Leo begin to slip away. _You are not getting out of this yet Leo._ He clings to the image and all he can do now is believe that he will see Leo again, and they will both escape the clutches of Saki. He holds onto that hope as he moves deeper into meditation, looking to establish a mental bond with Leo to let him know that everything will be okay. Leo couldn't die, and if he did it would be over Raph's dead body.

 _ **Meanwhile, in Leo's cell…**_

Shredder had finally moved him off the table, though being chained to the wall wasn't much of an improvement. Leo remains in his meditative state. This is the only thing that can keep his mind off his aching body. Although it isn't ideal when he has to feign unconsciousness to avoid the enemy detecting his actions. He remembered Splinter, Mikey, Donnie, and Raph. The memories of his family flood into Leo's mind. He misses them so much.

 _I'm so sorry...I've failed you all._ he rebuked himself. Sorrow and self hatred lacing each mental word. He had been so careless. Turning his eyes away from his opponent which gave the enemy the advantage. This evidently cost him the greatest price of all, his team...no more than that, his brothers. _As a leader I'm supposed to guide the team and protect them at any cost. And all it took was one failure and I lost them all._ Darkness began to engulf his memories once again. _No, not again._ Leo protests as his mind tries to fend off the darkness and push out the voices in his head. Then nothing. Leo sat confused. Suddenly he hears Raph's voice. _No, please._ he can't deal with the taunts today. Each of his brothers had started appearing in his mind and taunting him, most frequently it was Raph. He guesses this started occurring a few days ago. Though no matter what, he can't escape it. At first he tried to defend himself, then he tried ignoring them. Finally, he lost any defense to their accusations and started to believe every word they said. It was no secret, he knew he had failed them. Though this constant battle with his own mind was making him grow weaker, and that he can't afford. If he gives up, his father will surely perish. And he will not be the cause of his father's death as he was to his brothers. So he did the only thing he could to preserve his strength, he prepared himself for the inevitable mental onslaught of his deceased brother. He can take the emotional pain and bottle it up for now but it was too exhausting to push the voices out continually. So he let the voice in. But he recognized something is off immediately. There is something about Raph's voice, it doesn't sound enraged or indicting. Actually it's quite the contrary, he sounded almost relieved and grief-stricken at the same time.

 _But how can that be? My brother's dead...this doesn't make any sense._ Leo thought, terrified he would get a response that would confirm his beliefs. Then Raph's voice would turn on him again, finding fault in the fact that Leo was still alive when he and his brothers weren't.

Before he could really stop himself Leo quietly stuttered out "Raph...i-is that y-you?"

"Of course it's me shell fer brain. When we get out of here I get to bash the heads, you don't think I'd let you have all the fun do you?." Raph responded.

 _It was so like my brother. His voice is so familiar, so like him. I grew up listening to that voice, and I know when it's genuine or my own illusions or memories._

Leo smiled weakly at this revelation.

"But how are you still alive? This doesn't make sense. I mean Shredder told me…I thought that you were..." Leo's concentration broke as an armored fist smashed into this abdomen.

 _ **Back in Raph's cell...**_

 _Leo!? Leo! What the shell?!_ He can't sense Leo anymore. Raph completely lost focus as anger and fear consumes him. He stares at the floor. He knows something is wrong. At least he knows Donnie, Mikey, and Master Splinter are okay. But what troubles Raph is that he's certain Leo isn't going to last much longer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following day is worse. More bruises, cuts, and burns litter Raph's body. But that isn't what troubles him. He's increasingly worried about Leo. He hasn't been able to reach him after he lost connection with him yesterday. Though who knows how many times he tried. He can't feel Leo's presence and he has no idea what Shredder has been doing to him for the past 24 hours. His knuckles are red from his fists taking out anger on his cell door, and his throat is dry from the screams of rage and hopelessness. He feels broken. He can't handle his family being hurt and separated. His knees buckle under him, his eyes drop to the floor. The door opens once again. He lifts his head up and narrow his eyes in defiance. Shredder isn't there, only some of his foot bots. He counts his enemies, four, five...seven total. _Bad odds… for them_. He slowly curls his fingers into fists. Just as he is about to make his move, an eighth and ninth figure enter his cell. _Another foot bot and...shell, Leo!_ The last bot drug the unconscious turtle into the room, a knife held at his throat. Raph watches in horror. If he made a move now Leo would surely die before he took out all the bots. He glares at them as they dump Leo in a heap on the ground then swiftly make their exit, not wanting to take their chances in the cell without leverage. Raph then hurries to his brother's side. He gently lifts his brother's head and allows him to rest on his lap. He places his fingers on his older brother's neck, checking for a pulse. _Still breathing...but barely_. Raph unties his red mask and wipes away the blood from Leo's wounds. His heart aches to see his brother like this. His elder brother's body entertains several more burn marks made by electricity as well as more stab wounds. There is a long gash across his face, tearing his blue mask almost entirely in half. There is also something off with his left arm. It is in an unnatural position. Raph carefully grips his brothers arm, feeling that the bone is snapped and out of place. _Shredder will pay for this, I will make sure of that myself_. He mental notes as he takes in the extent of damage to his big brother.

Leo's eyes slowly flutter open and Raph snaps out of his vengeful thoughts. Leo glances at his brother. "R-aph? You're still alive?" Leo's eyes widen. His vision begins to focus as he studied his brother. He takes in the cuts and bruises on his younger brother's body. Raph's arms and right leg also looked out of joint.

"Raph, you're injured. Let me help you." Leo began to pick himself up but just collapses and Raph catches him. Leo grabs his arm and let out a nearly inaudible grunt of pain.

"Leo, stop worryin' about me and let me look at yer injuries." Raph scolds lightly.

"I'm fine Raph...you need to treat those burns. Let me help…" Leo replies, persistent to help his younger brother.

"Shell yer fine! Don't lie to me Leo!" Raph counters.

Leo again attempts to sit up but Raph cut him off again.

"Stop right there Fearless. Shut up and let me help you." Raph huffs, gently pushing Leo back down to his lap.

"Ya need ta rest...now stop being' a goody two shoes for once in yer life and let me see yer arm." Raph concludes before examining his brother's injuries. Leo sighs earning a glare from Raphael. Silently he was glad to see Leo like this, he was still himself. Asking about Raph's well being as he struggled to block out his own pain. This was one of the many things that Raph admires and yet he still finds it annoying as well. Leo's persistence and obsession to put his family's health above his own makes it difficult for Raph to help him in any way.

"Raph...please let me h-elp you...I c-an do it. Just let me see..." Leo stutters before a violent coughing fit cuts him off.

"Fine, but only if ya shut up and let me look at yer injuries first, got it?" Raph knows this is the only thing that would calm Leo down so he could tend to his brother's wounds. Leo would normally protest but he was too exhausted to start an argument with his brother given the circumstances. So he instead allows Raph to clean his wounds. Raph grabbed a water bottle, given to him to ensure he wouldn't die before they got the location of the lair, and gently pours some of his drinking water over Leo's burns. He hesitates when he hears a small hiss of pain from Leo, but continues after allowing his brother a moment to calm his breathing.

"I'm gonna have ta set yer arm back in place." Raph whispers as he carefully grips his brother's left arm. Leo winces but nods, signalling for Raph to continue. Raph looks away from his brothers eyes as he gives a tug. He is able to swiftly set the bone back in place, but not without earning a failed attempt to stifle a gasp of pain from his brother. Tears stung in Leo's eyes as his joint was set back into place, but at least it had stopped throbbing after Raph was done. As for the snap in the bone, Raph can't do anything about it right now, they both knew that much. Once Raph was finished tending to his brother's wounds, he helped Leo lift himself up. Leo uses some of the remaining water on Raph's burns. He then proceeds to apply pressure to stop the bleeding of Raph's reopened shoulder wound, courtesy of Shredder's last visit. Finally he moves his brother's joints back into socket. At first Raph has a hard time blocking out the pain, but once it was over, his joints relaxed and the ache in his arms dulled.

After Leo was done, he struggles to meet Raph's gaze. Tears well up in his eyes as his gaze finally meets his brothers'.

"I am so sorry Raph." Leo apologizes.

Raph is taken back.

"Sorry for what?" he asks.

"Donnie...Mikey...this. Maybe if I had returned to the lair instead of stopping…"

 _Right. He thinks they're gone. He must not have been able to reach them through meditation before he was cut off from me._ Raph almost slapped himself for not telling him sooner.

"Enough Leo." Raph cuts his brother off.

"How can ya possibly think that any of this is yer fault? If we had returned ta the lair...they woulda followed us, found master Splinter, an' killed us all. And as for Donnie and Mikey, they're still alive. I felt their presence." Leo's face lightens at this news.

"But...how did you...?" Leo's unsure eyes met his brother's.

"Hey, yer not tha only one who knows how ta meditate. Sensei taught me too rememba." he smirks and gives a small wink to Leo.

"Yeah...but I never thought you would be good at it." Leo returns the smile, a hint of mischief glinting in his blue eyes.

"Alright fine, lame-o-nardo, have it your way. But when we get out of this mess, I'm taking you down." Leo smiles, he never thought he'd hear that name again. Raph gently gives Leo a playful nudge to the arm, causing Leo to wince slightly. Raph notices his reaction and immediately apologizes. Judging by his injuries, Leo would be lucky to last another night. They have to escape and soon. _But how?_ _And why did Shredder bring Leo here now, after all this time?_

* * *

The poor guys are still having some problems I see. Will the brother bond enable them to survive the horrendous torture

or will Shredder succeed in breaking them? And why did he put the brothers back together?

You'll have to find out in the next chapter.

Thanks again everyone, have a great day. See you soon I hope.


	7. Author's Update

First off, I'm going to apologize for the really long wait. I've been extremely busy with my academic life and job as of late. And I apologize for those who thought this was a chapter. But no worries, I should have this next chapter up within the week, that is my plan anyway. So I have actually re-written this chapter a few times now because I want to make it the best I can for my readers, and I don't want to publish anything I'm not proud of. But it seems I've hit a slight writer's block because all my imaginary friends are ignoring me at the moment ;). Therefore, I could use some help with this next chapter, and I would love to hear your ideas! We all know Leo and Raph are having a rough time, but I want to know what you guys would like to see in this next chapter as far as angst or any brotherly moments. Don't worry, I still know exactly where I want to go with this story and it will remain as it was originally planned, I'm just having trouble with some specific scene ideas. Please send me private messages if you want it to be a surprise for the other readers or let me know in the reviews for this update. Thanks so much everyone for your support, patience, and understanding. Can't wait to hear from all of you! See you all again soon. :)


	8. Chapter 7: Breakdown

**_Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT or any of the characters, this is just for fun._**

 **Author's Note: o_0 I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated. I am SO sorry everyone, life has been so chaotic. Well, I want to thank everyone for being so patient, understanding, and supportive throughout the story so far. It means so much to me. As always, be sure to read and review :). Thanks to all once again for being so patient throughout this. Enjoy this chapter. Story time!**

 **Chapter 7: Breakdown**

The night seemed prolonged, as the brothers awaited daybreak and the inevitable torture that follows. Rest proved to be unattainable until the early hours of the morning as each brother had been too distressed about the other. Raph had tried to be gentle at first, trying to coax Leo to get some rest. After failure to comply from Leo, Raph had started ordering Leo to get some sleep so he could heal quicker. Of course that never really worked on his elder brother, and this time was no exception. Raph knew that Leo was simply worried about Shredder returning while Leo rested, then Raph would have to face Shredder on his own. Leo would never allow that. However, Raph couldn't help but offer a triumphant smile when he glanced down to see the eldest asleep within the following hours. Maybe it was selfish, but he was grateful when Leo's injuries took their toll on his body and forced his body into exhaustion. Yes, he felt bad for the extent of the injuries, but at least Leo was able to regain some strength as he slept. He seemed blissfully unaware of his predicament as his dreams took him deeper into peaceful ignorance. As Raph stood guard, the only thing he was aware of was how unnervingly silent it were no pounding of approaching feet, in fact, it didn't even sound like there were foot bots outside the cell door. One might think of it as peaceful, but Raph knew better. There was something big going to go down, and whatever it was, it was happening really soon. A small whimper brought Raph's attention towards the figure resting on his lap. He let out a nearly inaudible growl as his eyes glanced at his suddenly disturbed brother, obviously experiencing a nightmare. He began rubbing circles across Leo's shell, in an attempt to soothe his brother from his obvious distress. As he started to whisper to his older brother, slowly but surely, the tormented expression on his brother's face subsided. He let a small smile grace his lips as his brother fell back into a peaceful, healing sleep. Whatever Shredder was planning, it would not stand between them. Raph refused to let it destroy what was left of his brother and he would refuse to give into it himself. Shredder would never get the location out of him, he would take it to his grave if he had to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raph awoke that morning to see Leo's hand gently grasping his own, though Leo's eyes remained closed and his breaths seemed to be steady. He'll never admit this to anyone, he was slightly embarrassed at his predicament. He couldn't move, lest he wake up his brother. However, his legs ached from the awkward position they held all night. Fortunately, he didn't have to dwell on this long as Leo began to stir only a minute later.

"Don't even think about it," Raph growls as Leo begins to push himself out of his predicament, blushing slightly.

Leo glares a little and Raph chuckles as he supports his brother's weight and helps him to sit up.

"How long was I out?" Leo asks tentatively as he rubs his eyes.

"Only since last night. Don't worry Fearless, you didn't miss any action, cause I'm sure you coulda took on Buckethead 'imself in yer condition." Raph mocks, offering a small wink at his brother.

"And I'm sure you could have done better with your nearly broken hands then?" Leo counters.

"I can take 'em all on and still kick yer shell like I do every morning during training," Raph retorts.

Leo just grins and shakes his head at his younger brother's antics.

Their banter is interrupted by a small hiss. Their eyes wander until resting on a gaseous cloud forming above them, emitting from a tiny hole in the ceiling. Most likely poison gas the red clad turtle notes. Evidently, Shredder must have deemed his plan to have failed. Raph glances to Leo and sees something he has never seen before, pure terror. Leo feared this outcome, not only for his own life but for Raph's as well. An unsaid thought passes between the two, they both know they died to keep their family safe. Raph grasps his elder brothers hand and gently squeezes, offering what little reassurance he can give in the bleak situation. Leo returns the gesture as his eyes grow heavy. Raph watches as Leo's eyes slowly slide closed as he loses the battle to stay conscious. As Raph feels his own cognizance fading, he realizes all too late that poison gas is not their fate. It's anesthetic gas, meaning their battle is still far from over and their family's safety remains in jeopardy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Leo became aware of the fuzzy feeling in his head. As the tingling sensation left his extremities and feeling gradually return, he realizes he's merely chained to a wall. There's no knives or examination table in sight. As his surroundings come into focus the only thing he notices is a small monitor in the corner. His heart drops as he hears footsteps approaching steadily. The door is unlocked and Shredder himself blocks his escape route. Leo glares as Shredder approaches.

"The rules to this game are simple Leonardo. Since you were unwilling to reveal the location, I thought you could use some...persuasion." he begins.

"Nothing you could do to me will ever make me betray my family Saki," Leo growls, undeterred by the cruel promise of torment from his enemy.

"That is true Leonardo." Saki continues, pleased at the confusion and uncertainty in his prisoner's eyes.

"This is exactly why you will remain unharmed throughout this session," Saki replies.

"However, I cannot say the same for your brother." Saki taunts as he motions to the monitor which is now powered on.

"Leo's face is filled with horror as he glances towards Raph who is tightly restrained to a metal operating table.

Leo is speechless, this can't be happening.

"The rules to this game are simple." Shredder repeats.

"You will choose the punishment each time Raph refuses to answer. If you fail to comply I will choose the punishment and I promise I will show far less mercy."

Leo glances back at the screen as Raph starts shouting obscenities at the foot bots surrounding him. Shredder demands his foot bots ask Raph the location of the lair, to which they comply without hesitation.

Leo holds his breath, he knows what the answer will be, what it always will be.

"Tell yer boss, he can take his questions and shove em…"

A hard hit to his plastron cut off Raph's retort, and he glares at his oppressors.

Shredder then turns to Leo expectantly.

"Choose turtle, what will it be, his hand or his eye."

 _How am I supposed to choose!?_ Leo was filled with horror at the very idea.

"Well…" Shredder prompts.

 _How can I do this to my brother? I can't choose his fate. I won't._

At Leonardo's persistent denial, Shredder slammed his fist into the wall near Leo's head.

"If you do not choose, I will take both his eyes. His fingers will be broken one by one and I will have the pleasure of tearing his arm off myself!" Shredder thundered.

And Leo knew his nemesis would follow through on every brutal word.

With a heavy heart, Leo knew which he must choose. In order for Raph to hold his own in a battle for any chance of escape, he would need his sai, both of them.

"His eye." Leo concedes in a nearly inaudible whisper.

"Very well, footbots...proceed." Saki replies through the comlink.

And with Raph's deafening scream, Leo's heart shattered.

 _What have I done?_ He thought to himself, aghast by his actions.

"Until our next visit, turtle." Shredder taunts as he exits the cell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo had been through a lot since they had been taken. But this by far was the worst torture he had endured. Having been forced to watch as his brother was asked about the location of the lair the entire day. And upon each refusal, Leo was asked his fate.

He had stupidly denied the Shredder the second interrogation session. His brother's agonized cry still fresh in his mind, he pleaded to offer himself in Raph's place. That was the biggest mistake of his life. Instead of 10 lashes with a whip or 5 swings with a metal bat, Raph had gotten 20 lashes followed by 10 swings from the bat. Having to hear Raph endure through that had been horrific, knowing that it was because of him had been insufferable. Leo hadn't made that error in judgment again. He had already cost Raph a fractured rib and shattered finger as well as forced him to endure electrocution, a near drowning, and a beating that left Raph half dead. This all in addition to the previous punishment and abuse Raph's body had taken. And Leo couldn't be feeling more guilty.

 _How can I even face Sensei again after this? Raph will hate me when he finds out...should I even tell him? No… I have to face this, he deserves to know. Maybe I can find an abandoned building if they don't want me anymore, maybe it would be better if I didn't make it out of this at all._ Leo's head dropped to the ground as he reflected on these thoughts. In that instant, Leo had broken. He knew he would never be the same again. He had lived through his greatest fears and he was completely powerless. He wasn't the leader his brothers deserved. Not Michelangelo, not Donatello, and certainly not Raphael.

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Shredder had observed Leonardo throughout this session, he needed the turtle to break. And break he had, just not in the way Saki had intended. Instead of revealing the location of the lair to save his brother, Leo has completely shut down. Saki saw this. The fire and defiance that had once shown so fierce from the blue clad turtle are now obsolete. He is dull and lifeless like he has given up entirely. Honestly, Saki was expecting him to cave in much sooner. But he realizes now how wrong he was. He has failed. Both turtles are useless to him now, and Yoshi remains out of his reach.

With that knowledge, his final arrangement is being acted upon.

"Foot bots, is everything set?" Shredder demands.

The foot bots reply with a small bow and nod.

"Excellent," he continues. "My old nemesis will suffer. If he doesn't come by this time tomorrow, be sure that he is able to see the consequences of his decisions. His sons will be executed if the rat fails to show." The foot bots are dismissed and Shredder returns his gaze to the window. "This I swear Hamato Yoshi, you will suffer. I will end your pathetic existence and after I will take what's most precious from you as you took what was precious to me," he promises as he glances at the torn picture of Tang Shen in his grasp.

 **Well...that went downhill fast. Please don't kill me yet, if you do you won't know how the story ends :P. Poor Leo struggling to cope with the guilt and sadly Raph is not getting off easy either. I promise the next chapter will focus more on how the rest of the Hamato clan is doing and if they are up to the task to save the oldest brothers... if there's anything left to save that is ;). See you next time.**


	9. Chapter 8: Out of Options

_**Disclaimer: You all know the drill, I do not own TMNT or their characters. All credit is given to the creators of the franchise. This story is for entertainment purposes only.**_

 _Thanks again to all who have reviewed and read my story. Thanks for being patient, loyal, and extremely supportive, I appreciate it. Thanks again to all my readers for taking the time to listen to my story, it means more than you all know. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, and I hope to continue to entertain and satisfy you guys. Thanks so much for all you do!_

 _Without further delay...it's story time!_

 **Chapter 8: Out of Options**

Splinter remains in his meditative state knowing it is the only way to search for his missing sons. He had made telepathic contact with his second eldest only twice, though his son was unaware of his presence and he wasn't able to uncover his son's location. But at least Splinter discovered that Raphael was still alive. Though he becomes increasingly worried about Leo, his eldest, he hasn't been able to reach him once yet.

"Sensei!" Donnie screams. Splinter immediately halts his meditation and rushes to his son's side.

"What is it Donatello?" he asks frantically. His eyes meet a pair a baby blue ones as he enters the infirmary.

"Michelangelo! My son!" Splinter rushes towards Michelangelo's bedside.

"Uuugghh...my leg is sore." Mikey complains.

"Donatello, please bring me Michelangelo's pain medication," Splinter grabs Mikey's hand.

"How are you feeling?" Splinter questions, examining his injuries.

"Okay...how's Donnie doing?" Michelangelo gestures towards his brother.

"He's still sore, but he's recovering quickly." Splinter replies. He gently unwraps the bandages and reapplies gauze once more, as his son's body is still fighting off infection.

"Where's Raph and Leo?" Mikey finally asks amidst the silence. Leo had taken quite the fall from that rooftop and Raph must have bested Shredder and somehow got them out, still even he couldn't be unscathed right?

Splinter remains silent and drops his head to the ground. He still didn't know how he was going to tell Michelangelo that his brothers might be dead.

The silence is all Mikey needed to confirm his fears: Splinter didn't know. His eyes widen and he wipes away the newly forming tears.

"We'll find them, right sensei?" Mikey sniffs, his hopeful eyes meet his father's.

"Yes, my son. We will find your brothers." Splinter replies being careful that his own voice doesn't waver at his own unease.

Splinter embraces his youngest before approaching Donatello.

"Donatello.." he whispers softly, lowering his voice to make sure Michelangelo can't hear them. "...can you watch over Michelangelo for me?" Splinter's gaze locks onto Donnie's.

"Where are you going?" he responds faintly.

"I need to find your brothers." Splinter replies decisively.

"Sensei, you can't go alone. Let me come with you." the turtle offers, his brown eyes gleaming.

"No. You and your brother still need to need to watch over your younger brother." Splinter explains.

Donnie opens his mouth in protest but Splinter cuts him off, " Donatello, you are needed here. You need to oversee Michelangelo's recovery and be ready for the return of your brothers should they need your aid. Don't worry I will find Leonardo and Raphael. I can't risk losing either of you, and I couldn't ask for more capable hands to entrust with your brothers lives."

Donnie glances to the floor, both appreciative and devastated at his father's words. He knows Mikey can't come along, and he needs to watch over his baby brother. He also knows that Leo and Raph need to be found before it's too late. He just can't bear the thought of losing his elder brothers and his sensei all at once.

"Aye sensei." he reluctantly agrees before wrapping his arms around his father.

Splinter returns the hug before leaving the lair to scour the city for his lost sons.

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His fur is engulfed by blackness. He leaps from rooftop to rooftop, swiftly making his way back to the building cluttered with foot bots. His mind races the entire journey. _Will I be able to find Leonardo and Raphael? Will they still be alive if I do?_ He pushes the last thought aside and continues towards the rooftop. They have to be alive, he would have felt otherwise. Silver metal glistening from the moonlight catch his eyes. _There it is._ The abandoned building sat just as he remembered from the previous visit. He leaps a few rooftops over from where he found his sons and begins his investigation. The robots have all been destroyed just as Donatello had said. He then glances around the roof. A brick structure is nearby, it appears to be the stairway to the rest of the building. Though it is damaged. _Wait, Donatello said his body slammed into something. Judging by the damage to the structure and the injuries he sustained, this was it._ Splinter runs his hand over the cold, rough bricks. His eyes catch towards the center of the broken bricks. Dried blood stains. He drops his head, remembering his sons' injuries when he first found them. He forces himself out of the somber memories. He can't lose focus, the distraction will only cost him valuable time, time that might cost his sons their lives. He renews his search, finding blood on the ground at the edge of the rooftop. He then turned his attention to the alley below. He noiselessly drops into the alley to investigate. Glancing around, he finds a dented garbage bin and one of Leo's katanas resting on the ground next to it. He grabs Leo's katana and heaves a short sigh before returning to the roof. He then locates more blood towards the center of the roof, before finding a fragment of red material in the puddle. _No._ He didn't want to believe it. _This can't be happening._ Splinter desperately held on to the slightest belief that his sons may have been safe, but he can't, not now. As he continues his search, a blur of movement catches his attention. Definitely moving too fast to be human. The distinct clang of the newcomers footsteps resonate in his sensitive ears. He quickly whirls around and hurls his sons katana into the figure. He retrieves the weapon as he shoves the metallic corpse aside. _A scout bot? But why would single footbot return here?_ A silvery gleam catches his eye once again. The footbot appears to be holding something. Retrieving the small device, Splinter noted it was a keydrive device. He grabs it before searching the rest of the area. He glances at the object before curling his hands firmly around it. If anything, this might give him a sign to what happened, or maybe to what the foot have been up to.

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He returns to the lair. Michelangelo is asleep and Donatello fell asleep at his bedside, grasping his brother's hand like it might disappear if he awoke. Using, the shadows to his advantage, he stealthily slips into Donnie's lab and opens his son's laptop undetected. He plugs the miniature device in, pleased at his observations of Donnie working on his laptop during missions. Shredder appears on the screen. "Hamato Yoshi, I have taken your sons. I know they won't betray you, but will you betray them?" Shredder laughs menacingly before the screen shifts. Leonardo struggles in his restraints and Splinter watches helplessly as Shredder approaches his eldest son. Without warning, Shredder jabs the blade into Leo's leg and twists it. Leo whimpers.

"Where is Hamato Yoshi!" Shredder demanded.

Silence.

The blade enters his side.

Silence.

The blade pierces his shoulder, reopening a previous injury. Leo's expression is now stricken with pain. A red pool forms on the floor. Despite his best efforts, Leo is now screaming. He continues screaming as the blade repeatedly pierces his bruised and broken body. Shredder then places the red stained blade to the side. He pulls out a remote. He pushes the button, electrified restraints send electricity flowing through Leo's entire body. The agonized screams slowly deteriorate until no air is left in his lungs. His son goes limp. Splinter can barely hold back his tortured screams of witnessing his son in pain. The screen then shifts again. This time Raphael appears. _No._ Splinter watches horrified as Shredder takes the blade and thrusts it into his son's arm. .

"Where is Hamato Yoshi!" Shredder urged.

Raph growls menacingly. Shredder's blade slides across his throat.

Splinter's eyes widen, his mind silently screams as he watches helplessly as the the cruel torment of his own son transpires before him.

The screen then shifts one last time.

Shredder appears again. "Your actions have led to the demise of Tang Shen, and now they will lead to the demise of your sons. Reveal yourself, or your sons will suffer the consequences of your decision." The video fades out.

Splinter's body becomes weak. The images of his sons continue to haunt his mind. It's been too long since their absence. He knows they've endured untold torture at the hands of his nemesis Saki. His logical thought offers the possibility that they might not have lasted this long anyway, but he stubbornly pushes the idea back deep in his mind. _They have to be...if not I'll retrieve their bodies but not before I avenge each of them and end that miscreant once and for all!_ he affirms. He can't ask his younger sons to fight. He can't go in alone. He can't let his sons die. _I must go._ he concludes. _Without Donatello and without Michelangelo. I can't risk their lives they have lost too much already._ Before leaving the lair, Splinter glances at his youngest sons, offering a silent farewell. He grabs a katana from the dojo before returning to the city surface.

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 _Well, there may be hope yet...or not :) . Will Splinter's worst fears be confirmed? Can he liberate his sons from Saki's clutches? Will I ever stop leaving you on cliffhangers (probably not)? Guess you'll have to find those answers out in the next chapter. As always, thanks for reading, hope you all have enjoyed. Feel free to review and take care. See you guys next time!_


	10. Chapter 9: Old Enemy, New Story

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT all credit is given to the creators. This story is just for fun.**_

 _Thanks all for being patient once again and for all the encouragement and support I've received. I look forward to hearing from everyone and knowing that I can give back to you guys with my story. Enjoy the chapters and always please let me hear your thoughts and review. Thanks for staying with me even when it seems like an eternity between updates, it means a lot._

A quick note, I will be posting chapter 9 and 10 simultaneously to avoid confusion at the event that takes place at the end of this chapter, (no peeking ahead please ;) ) Thanks and enjoy. Without further delay, it's story time!

 **Chapter 9: Old enemy, New Story**

It wasn't long before he caught sight of his old enemy's lair. He knew there would be much security but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't let Donatello and Michelangelo come along in their condition and he certainly wasn't going to let Shredder finish off Leonardo and Raphael. As he crept towards the building he felt unnerved. He slowed his pace and retracted further into the shadows. Without warning, foot bots drop from the neighboring rooftops and surround him. His hood eclipsed the pain in his eyes as he remembered his sons. They were suffering and they needed him. These henchmen would not stand between him and his family ever again! He quickly dispatches two with a single swing of his blade. He seizes another and tosses it into a group of three. Four remain. He leaps and angles his weapon downwards, forcing another to fall to his blade. He maneuvers the next attack with a backflip. Following through with his attack, he jabs his blade into the midsection of another. He unarmed yet another before using a swift kick to send it tumbling down the stairs. He grabbed the last one and slammed it onto the ground. The remains flickered electricity before their eyes went dark. He scoped the area before using nearby rooftops to reach the top of his target. He peered through the skylight. Nothing. Though he had already expected them to be in the dungeon area. He lifts the glass panel and allows himself to slip inside with ease. He drops to the floor with barely a sound. His eyes scan the room before resting on a narrow hallway. He crept through the slender walkway and makes his way through the enemy lair. There is a slight illumination at the end of the hallway, resulting from a singular lamp at the end of the hall. The entire lair seemed eerily quiet and the dim lighting only added to his uneasy feeling. One thing was for certain, he needed to find his sons before… no he would not think about the consequences should he fail. His figure was but a blur as he made his way to the dungeons, determination only acting to quicken his pace. The only way to reach the dungeons was to go through the throne room. This is where he knew his enemy would be waiting for him. He gave the next room a quick glance before cautiously entering.

"Hamato Yoshi." The voice appeared to have come from everywhere. "We meet again, after all these years." Shredder's voice arises, echoing off the cold stone walls of the room.

"Where are my sons?" Splinter demands, he won't be kept from his family any longer.

Shredder ignores the comment and leaps down, angling his blade towards an unexpecting Splinter. However, Splinter senses his adversary's presence and dodges his enemy's fatal attack with a quick maneuver to the left. Hatred fills Splinter's eyes as his gaze rests on Oroku Saki.

"It is your actions that have destroyed Tang Shen, and now your sons." Shredder glares at Splinter as his eyes meet his opponent. Splinter glares back, unintimidated by the Shredder and the hatred evident in his tone and eyes. Shredder reveals his second blade as he prepares for yet another strike towards his nemesis. Splinter recognizes this imminent threat and unsheathes his own blade.

"Hamato Yoshi, know that you will fall and your family will die by my hand." Shredder taunts before his hardening gaze locks onto Splinter's once more.

"You will not touch any of my sons ever again!" Splinter is the first to engage his enemy. His eyes burn with agony at the thought of his sons dying mercilessly at Shredder's hand, he can't allow that to happen. His blade crashes against Shredder's. He forces Shredder back, determination fueling every movement and attack. Shredder kicks Splinter back and leaps toward his fallen nemesis. Splinter rolls to the side and quickly picks himself up. His blade once again meets the cold, hard steel of Shredder's weapon. Shredder thrusts the blade towards his nemesis' head. Splinter ducks and kicks the legs out from underneath his opponent. Splinter then drives his blade towards Shredder's abdomen. Shredder regains his footing, then parries the attack and forces Splinter back with a swing to his head, which Splinter ducks to avoid. Shredder stands and his eyes narrow as he stares into his enemy. Without warning, Shredder unleashes a series of ruthless attacks. He stabs from the right, left, and even from above. Splinter however, is able to dodge each of his blows, fear of failure fueling his movements. Shredder then performs a powerful stab towards Splinter's midsection. Splinter uses his adversary's momentum against him and swiftly steps to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade. In that small fraction of time, Shredder now has his back to Splinter and he takes advantage of this. He sends a swift kick directed at his enemy, though Shredder is too swift and blocks the attack, knocking the blade from Yoshi's hand. At a momentary advantage, Shredder seizes this opportunity to slam his fist into Splinter's chest. Yoshi goes down and Shredder sends a sharp keck to his ribs, landing him on his back. As Splinter gazes upwards, Shredder comes into his line of sight, towering over him. Shredder then kneels as he states in a hushed promise,

"I assure you that your sons will die slowly." He then raises his blade to deliver the final blow. _No, I can't leave my family, not like this. I won't let them down, not this time._ Shredder thrust his blade towards Splinter's heart, though Splinter was prepared for this. With lightning speed he grasps the blade, which slices into his hand but slows it momentum long enough for him to throw his fist into Shredder's helmet with all his might using his free hand. Shredder staggers backwards, merely stunned by the sheer force of the blow. Splinter continues his attack unrelenting, his fists repeatedly slamming into his enemy with unheard of power, speed, and accuracy. Shredder goes down and Splinter now towers over him, his retrieved blade at his enemy's throat, daring him to make a move. Shredder just glares up at his enemy before letting out a maniacal laugh. Well that wasn't what he was expecting, taking advantage of Splinter's momentary confusion, a footbot hurls a throwing star and grazes Splinter's arm. He whirls around to find a small army of foot bots approaching. He curses himself for letting his guard down during the fight and draws up his sword to blocks all incoming shurikens. He beheads three bots before he is hit from behind. He falls to the floor and hands meet the stone cold floor. He attempts to lift himself up but a swift kick to his back denies his attempt. Shredder continues his vicious assault, kicking and slicing until Splinter can't even lift himself up. He then orders his foot bots to restrain his enemy as he no longer poses a threat. Shredder's gaze falls to Splinter's bruised body.

"Did you really think you could defeat me Hamato Yoshi? I've trained many years for this moment, and now I will have the pleasure of watching you suffer. Bring the turtles." he orders two of his bots. They bow before heading towards the dungeon area. Splinter's eyes widen when he hears this.

"You killed the only person I cherished, now I will return the favor. After I kill you I will hunt down the others. Once I have them all I assure you they will pay for their misplaced loyalty. I will not rest until they have drowned in their own blood." Shredder continues a smile forming on his lips as the bots return with the two severely injured turtles. "Sensei!" two worry-filled voices call. Splinter notices the extent of their injuries. Several stab wounds, burns, and bruises cover Raphael's body. Much skin is worn off his wrists. But the most disturbing affliction is that there was a lot of dried blood that took the place where his left eye used to be. He struggles to refrain from vomiting at the grotesque sight. He then glances to his eldest son. He is visibly trembling and his knees looked as if they are going to buckle under his weight. His plastron is stained red and his body is severely burned. His left arm also appears to be broken. But worst of all Leo looks void of life. His eyes are fearful but he acts almost detached from his surroundings. Movement in the corner of Splinter's eye caught his attention before a fist slammed into his face.

"If ya touch him again, I'm gonna kill ya!" Raph screams.

Shedder just laughs and kicks Splinter before returning his attention to the turtles. Shredder approaches Raph. His blade glides across the red masked turtle's body.

Shredder pushes the blade so it barely punctures Raph's plastron. Slowly Shredder applies more pressure, forcing the blade deeper. Raph's mind blocks out Leo's feeble whimpers of protest and his master's pleas to force himself to concentrate on the pain. Raph begins to gasp for air as the blade nears his lungs. He bites his lip and fights back the urge to scream. Immense pain shoots through his body, but he won't show weakness. Shredder continues to press the blade in slowly. After what seems like an eternity, Shredder retracts and removes the blade only to return his focus to Splinter. "I made a promise Yoshi, I will allow your sons to live only to see you be slain first." Shredder sneers. At this, Leo silently screams. Shredder approaches their master and manages to land a barrage of punches to Splinter's abdomen and a handful to his head. _No, I can't let this happen!_ Leo mentally screams urging his aching body to do something. He's weaponless and his entire body aches, he can't do anything. Leo glances back to his master. Once Splinter dies, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie will surely meet a merciless fate as well. _I can't let Shredder win, not now, not ever! My entire life I've been trained to protect my family, I won't let them down._ With the threat of failure looming over him once again, a newfound energy surges through Leo. His once dull eyes shone with a hint of fiery determination. He makes his move, the only move he can make given the fact he has no weapons. He rams his shoulder into the foot bot that was restraining him. This gives him enough room to turn and grab the offending bot then hurl him away from himself and into the wall Raphael had simultaneously done the same as if the thoughts of his family's demise had been running through his mind as well. Noticing the turtles newly obtained freedom, a multitude of foot bots surround Raph. The turtle peers at his enemies through his red mask and smirks. He lets out a strained battlecry before leaping on the first foot bot and taking two more down with him, attempting to ignore his aching body. Shredder raises the blade and Leo sprints forward. Raph ruthlessly punches a fourth bot, the impact shoots pain through his entire arm. He bites his lip and ignores his throbbing hands. He then takes down a fifth bot, managing to wrestle a weapon from the black masked bot's grasp. With his newly attained dagger he charges a group of three more bots. Leo met his master's gaze, he urges all the strength he had left into moving his legs forward, towards his master. Shredder thrust the blade downwards penetrating his victim. Splinter's eyes went wide with fear and shock. Blood trailed down his fur. Leo's eyes widen.

"I am so sorry, I love you father." Leo's voice is barely audible, yet Splinter's heart shattered at those quiet words.. Splinter's features became pained as he glances at his son, both of them are fighting back tears. Leo's eyes close and he bows his head. Shredder tears the blade out of Leo's plastron. "Fool!" he yells as he tosses Leo's inert body to the side. Blood now forms a large pool where the blue clad turtle lay, life draining out of him.

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 _You all hate me now for all these endings, but that's okay, I've still got a few ideas left :) . I will be posting the next chapter simultaneously to avoid confusion of the ending scene, thanks for your patience._


	11. Chapter 10: The Fall of One

_**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT, all credit belongs to their creators and Nickelodeon.**_

 _Story time, yay!_

 **Chapter 10: The Fall of One**

Previously:

 _Leo's eyes close and he bows his head. Shredder tears the blade out of Leo's plastron. "Fool!" he yells as he tosses Leo's inert body to the side. Blood now forms a large pool where the blue clad turtle lay, life draining out of him._

Raph glances at his master who was covered in blood and staring towards the ground. _That's not Sensei's blood, then who's…_ his thoughts were cut off when his gaze fell on a motionless figure surrounded by a pool of red. "LEO!"

Raph can't believe it. While he was fending off foot bots Leo had taken the blade intended for their master. His plastron is completely stained red, his eyes remain closed, and his skin grows a sickly shade of green. Shredder raises his blade once more. Splinter glares at his enemy, sorrow filling his brown eyes. His fur is stained by the blood of his own son, who sacrificed himself protecting him. A fire ignites in him, pure rage is evident throughout his brown eyes. He grabs a foot bot that had a hold of his arm and forces it in front of him just as the blade comes down a second time. Then he sends the other bot hurling towards the wall with a swift kick. He pushes his fingers towards Shredder and sends his enemy backwards into a wall with tremendous force (A/N: If you don't know which move I'm referring to watch the episode _I, Monster_ from the TMNT 2012 series because I don't know how else to describe that move :) ) The wall crumbles and bricks bury the Shredder. Meanwhile Splinter scoops his eldest son in his arms, careful not to injure him further, before heading towards his second eldest. "Raphael hurry." Splinter instructs his son. Raph notices his master and finishes the remaining bots in a flash, given his condition anyway. Splinter rushes towards the door, Raph trailing shortly behind them. Raph takes out a few remaining bots attempting to prevent their escape as they head through the hallways. He then leaps to the rooftops with his master and older brother. "It is not over Hamato Yoshi until you and your family are dead at my feet." Shredder growls unburying himself from the debris.

Raph keeps a frequent eye on the lair, making sure they aren't being tailed. The lair disappears from view and Raph returns his focus to his master and his sensei. Splinter's knees give and his body drops to the ground. _His injuries must be worse than I thought._ Raph guessed. He comes to a halt and helps his master lift himself up. Raph then glances back at Leo, his skin becoming increasingly lighter. Splinter tears his kimoto and wraps the material around Leo's wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. Raph proceeds to carry his brother and allows his master to support himself on his bruised shoulder. Pain shoots through him as he now supports the weight of two bodies plus his own weight. He let out a grunt before blocking out his pain and focusing on helping his family. The extra weight seemed to drain far more energy than it should have. Perhaps Raph was just feeling the effects of his injuries. They slip into the sewers undetected within several minutes. Raph bursts into the infirmary with a slight limp and lays Leo down gently. Mikey gasps at the sight of his family.

"Donnie, get over here now!" Raph calls his voice wavering from injury, fatigue, and fear.

Donnie hears a voice call his name while he is working in his lab to create medicines for the youngest. It is so familiar.

"Raph...is that you?" the purple masked turtle hurries to the infirmary. His mouth drops as he takes in the extent of his older brother's injuries. Raph was bruised, bloody, and covered with multiple burns. His eyes moved to his sensei who looked as if he were going to collapse to the floor at any moment. "What's going…" Donnie stops short as his eyes fall to his oldest brother. His eyes were closed, his face was a light shade of green, not good. By the looks of the burns, his body had received many electric shocks. He had several deep cuts, one of which was still bleeding heavily despite the material wrapped around it.

"Earth ta Donnie...hey, bro snap out of it! You need to patch him up, hurry!" Raph yells regaining Donnie's attention.

"I need to get some supplies to stop the bleeding, he's going to need stitches, he's already suffered massive blood loss by the looks of his injuries." Donnie rushes to the shelves grabbing several utensils. "Raph you need to clean the wounds, that will prevent infections. I will grab some medication and a needle and thread to stitch up his wounds."

"What can I do Donnie?" Mikey timidly interrupts.

Donnie glances back at his younger brother, his leg is still not fully recovered.

"Mikey, your leg isn't healed yet, you need to stay on bedrest."

"But…" Mikey protests.

"Donatello is right my son, you can't injure yourself further. You need to rest." Splinter insists.

Mikey sighs as he watches his eldest brother moan in pain. Donnie continues to work to stabilize Leo's condition the rest of the night. Splinter and Raph stay by his bedside and continue to assist Donnie. By the early morning hours Donnie has done everything he can. Leo's wounds were stitched and cleaned, his burns were already attended to, along with his other wounds being wrapped with bandages, though Leo was still unstable. He had suffered far too much blood loss not to mention the internal injuries and he was still unconscious. Donnie then began to examine Raph and Splinter. Raph protested of course stating that Leo needs his brothers help more.

"Raph, I've done everything I can for Leo, now stop making excuses and let me see your arms." Donnie then began to clean and bandage his wrists and other injuries. Raph complained the whole time Donnie is tending to his wounds. _At least I know that's normal_. Donnie smirks a little when Raph continues to complain to him. Once he finishes with Raphael, he instructs Splinter to rest after bandaging his cuts. He asks Raph to rest too but his brother refuses. Instead he sits at Leo's beside, keeping a constant vigilant. Splinter exits the room and Donnie believes it be best to move Michelangelo to his own room to rest. Mikey of course protests too, but after what seemed like hours Mikey lets out a sigh before being lead up to his room. Donnie knew his younger brother just wants to help Leo, but he doesn't want to hurt Mikey by having him stay in the room and see his brother in his condition. Sure he's stable but he looks like he's on death's doorstep. Mikey needs to recover and seeing Leo now will only hinder that time.

Raph stays in the infirmary. Donnie occasionally enters, checking his eldest brother's vitals.

"How's he doing Don?" Raph asks every time he checks. The answer is always the same.

"He's still unstable, though his condition is improving slowly. It will take time for Leo to recover from this Raph."

"I know." Raph sighs.

"Next time I see Shredder, I'm gonna kill 'him for what he did ta Leo and Sensei!" Raph huffs angrily.

"Raphael!" Splinter calls as he enters the infirmary. Raph begrudgingly glances at his sensei, knowing his sensei will scold him for his words.

"You must not seek revenge. It is the path to destruction. Your brother will be fine. What matters is that you and your brother are safe and that we are together as a family again. You must rest now my son." Splinter was right of course. That doesn't mean Raph can't plan out some new fighting strategies for their next encounter with Shredder, the kind that'll cause a lot of pain.

"Aye sensei." Raph apologizes as his gaze rests on the floor.

"I'd like to stay in the infirmary in case Donnie needs me." Raph admits, his gaze returning to his brother. Splinter nods in understanding. He then proceeds towards Mikey's room. He knocks on the door before entering.

"Michelangelo, how are you feeling?" Splinter gestures towards his head and leg.

"Okay I guess. How's Leo?" Mikey's eyes lock onto his master.

"He's still unconscious." Splinter replies lowering his head. Mikey's gaze falls to the floor.

"However, his condition is improving." Splinter adds sensing his son's inner turmoil. Splinter then proceeds to lay his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Leonardo is strong, my son. He will be fine." Splinter reassures his youngest. Michelangelo then buries his small face in his father's fur, hiding the tears that escape his baby blue eyes. Splinter gently strokes his son's shoulder and continues to reassure him.

"I'm going to check on your brother now. You may come when your leg is healed." Splinter offered.

"Okay. Thanks sensei." he smiled as he wiped away the tears. Splinter rejoined his sons but stood in shock as he entered the infirmary. Machines were beeping and Donatello was rushing to find equipment. His words became jumbled, then they were drown out by loud beeping. Raph stands in horror and grasps his brother's hand desperately, pleading with him to live.

"Donatello what's going on?" Splinter asks frantically.

"His heart rate is dropping. He's lost too much blood." Blood trails down Leo's mouth and he moans in pain though he remains unconscious.

"Donnie, what the shell is happening? Do something now!" Raph tenses as his brother's life begins to fade.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TMNT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm sorry, please don't kill me yet! I can't help myself with the cliffhangers, they are so fun to write :) . Leo is left clinging to life, or is it already too late even with Donnie's medical expertise? Is this a problem the genius turtle can fix or is Leo lost for good? Guess you'll have to wait to find out :) . As always I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. Please show some support and leave a comment, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Take care, and enjoy the rest of your week!


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